By TODD STACY, Alabama Daily News Last week, Twitter blew up with the news of yet another embarrassing misstatement from...
Commentary

Latest Tuberville ‘gaffe’ wasn’t one at all
By TODD STACY, Alabama Daily News Last week, Twitter blew up with the news of yet another embarrassing misstatement from...

Stacy column: Cognitive dissonance is a hell of a drug
So much of what has occurred these last few years in our politics can be attributed to cognitive dissonance, the psychological theory that explains why we often choose self-delusion over beliefs that conflict with our own.

Will Whatley: To Better Days Ahead
Things are tough, no doubt, which is why I’m ready to burn down 2020 before I start celebrating 2021. Some Native Americans burn sage as part of a ritual to cleanse a space, so let’s fire one up and use it to light the fuse on the past year.

Guest opinion: Larry Dixon will be sorely missed
Our thoughts and prayers are with Gaynell and the entire Dixon family. He will be sorely missed but never forgotten.

Daily News Digest – December 1, 2020
Alabama hits record hospitalizations; Supreme Court seems skeptical of census plan; Beshear to retire; Boswell will lead Mental Health; Carl hires top staff; Meigs: Physicians are no longer on the front lines of this pandemic. You are.

Will Sellers: The Enduring Legacy of Margaret Thatcher
Unlike many political leaders who espouse high minded principles, she pursued hers with what some considered reckless abandon. Thatcher took significant steps to push back the suffocating hand of state control and return the economy to a true free market. Government intervention was replaced with individual responsibility and human action.

Even during tough times, give thanks
It’s hard to consider, much less savor, good things when so many bad things are happening all around you. But it’s times like these when thanks given and appreciation shown because it’s those minor things, the ones that are often overlooked, that will carry us through this valley and get us back to the mountaintop.

Dana Beyerle: Remembering Alvin Holmes
Holmes, who died Saturday at age 81, served in the House for 44 years, more than half his life, a record that will probably never be broken. He was a controversial but, in my opinion, a lovable and entertaining figure in the House.

Perry Hooper: Covid-19 is Still a Crisis, and We Must Support Alabama’s Small Businesses
With so much news to absorb in recent months, it has been easy to overlook the continuing small business crisis in our state.

Opinion: High-speed broadband internet emerges as critical quality of life issue in Alabama
After wrestling with a public health emergency over the past months, Alabama consumers and businesses have learned that good, high quality and fast broadband internet is a necessity, not a luxury.

Caleb Crosby: As Citizens, We Must Expect Less From Government and More From Ourselves
We must decide whether we are going to govern and live by the principles we say we believe in, or whether we are going to say one thing and do another.

Business Council of Alabama Celebrates 35 Years of Success
By The Business Council of Alabama This week marks a major milestone for Alabama – and not just because we...

Ed Castile: Changing Lanes on the Alabama Workforce Superhighway
2020 started as a typical year where many were planning and working with high hopes for a productive legislative session, school year or university semester, or simply hoping for a beautiful spring. Little did we know COVID-19 would turn us all inside out and literally stop the world in its tracks.

Ivey, Noem, Reynolds: An inspirational pick
As governors who are either the first or second females to be elected in our respective states, we are rightfully proud to see diversity expand among the highest levels of government. Notably, however, our support for Judge Barrett hinges not on her being a female, but rather her superior intellect, unflappable composure and impeccable integrity, all which combine to make her eminently qualified in every way.

Tim McCartney: Now is the Perfect Time for Upskilling into a High-Demand Job
This time of uncertainty for the unemployed and underemployed is a desperate struggle, and our hearts and prayers go out to those affected. It can also be, however, a time of unexpected opportunity.

Stacy Column: Fun with electoral math
There are still plenty of ways Trump can win this thing and more still that Biden can lose it, so my analysis assumes each has a shot in this race at the moment.

Joshua Pendergrass: Critics say Trump has no coronavirus plan. Actually, he does–it’s called federalism
Critics say the president’s failure to implement ironfisted control across the nation means there was/is no plan to fight the virus. I, and our nation’s Founding Fathers, disagree.

Ed Castile: Honoring the Innovators who Kept Alabama’s Workforce Humming
As Gov. Ivey noted, the workforce challenges we face right now are far different that those we faced just six months ago. However, as always, our state has risen to those challenges even amid the uncertainty of a global pandemic.

Stacy Column: Find your voice, but don’t lose your mind
The death of longtime Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the fight over how to fill her seat on the bench has turned up the heat on an election year already boiling over with emotion.

Will Whatley: Thank a trucker
"Growing up in a trucking family isn’t easy. It’s a lot of long hours for thankless work. So let me take this opportunity to celebrate the working man and give you the glimpse into the eye of a trucker."

Leah Nelson: Worsley case shows how system fails
Any day now, a fragile, disabled man who sacrificed his health and youth to serve his country will be thrown into the most dangerous prisons in America

Ainsworth: Alabama Military Stabilization Commission at work
we must be mindful that Alabama’s military tradition and defense presence did not come naturally and without much hard work and influence.

Op-Ed: Hello Alabama Legislature…Are You Still There? We Need You.
The Alabama Legislature was one of the earliest in the nation to adjourn its Regular Session this year, and they did so sooner than planned.

Op-Ed: An Honest Discussion on Prisons, Part 2 – the Alabama Prison Program
Our facilities are crowded, and our buildings are falling apart. Living and working conditions are, unquestionably, not sustainable. We face staffing shortages. Instances of violence among our inmate population pose a real challenge. No one denies this, least of all me. However, Governor Ivey, my staff, and I refuse to sit back and watch these problems further take root across our system.

Schools Reopen: Overcoming the Equity Challenges of COVID-19
Local districts have to balance factors like the rate of new COVID-19 cases, the needs of working parents, the academic and social-emotional needs of students, and many other factors to determine the most appropriate course. Additionally, there are serious concerns about the loss of high-quality instruction and its effect on our underserved students.

Stacy Column: Will there be a special session?
While plenty of reasons to meet for a special session exist, plenty of arguments can be heard to just hold off until next year.

Will Whatley: Listen to Coach
When Nick Saban donned a protective mask, went on ESPN and appealed to citizens to take the coronavirus seriously lest we lose out on a college football season, you know he meant business.

Gerald Allen: Electric Vehicles Next Wave of Alabama’s Auto-Manufacturing Success
Alabama has long been a leader in the automotive manufacturing sector in the United States and, now, we have the opportunity to sustain that momentum for years to come through significant investments in the electric vehicle (EV) industry.

Stacy Column: Bright spots in the budgets, Part One
There were some real bright spots in this year's budgets that we mustn't overlook just because of the strange circumstances of the session.

McCutcheon: House members answer the call to duty
As legislators returned to Montgomery from the mandatory COVID-19 shutdown period - a little less than three months removed from the sessions’s start - an entirely new landscape greeted us.

Tuberville: Sessions ‘ran away’ when Trump needed him most
Throughout this campaign, Sessions has claimed that nameless, faceless Justice Department bureaucrats demanded that recuse himself from the investigation, and he had no other choice than stepping down.

Jeff Sessions: Setting the record straight on recusal
My principles, like my faith, are immovable and non-negotiable. I believe it is always right to do the right thing.

Kay Ivey: Remembering My Father and the Greatest Generation
As we honor the members of “the Greatest Generation” who served 75 years ago, let us pause to reflect on the selfless work that these ordinary Americans accomplished.

Leah Nelson: Changes needed on funding for courts, law enforcement
Fines, fees, and court costs have long served as a hidden tax on Alabamians involved with the criminal legal system or who get the occasional traffic ticket. And they fund far more than just district attorneys or even just the administration of justice.

Ainsworth: A little effort can make a big difference in the fight agains COVID-19
Facts, statistics, and simple, everyday hard truths demand that we not only hold the course in the fight against COVID-19, but also practice stricter self-discipline in how we act and what we do.

Will Whatley: Trucking industry serving nation
When Alabama Trucking Association President and CEO Mark M. Colson talks about those serving the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, he realizes a lot of people are helping that might not get the attention.

Will Whatley: Time to make Senate race about Alabama
It didn’t take long for President Donald Trump to weigh in on the run-off in the Alabama GOP Senate race to nominate a candidate to face incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Doug Jones.

Daily News Digest – January 15, 2020
Prison reform recommendations coming; Impeachment goes to Senate; Internal poll shows Coleman leading AL-2 primary; New map illustrates rural broadband issue; Iron Bowl of basketball tonight

Perry Hooper: Trump Wins 2019 Hands Down
Well-known Wall Street veteran Jim Cramer reported to his associates at MSNBC “this is best economy of his lifetime” and as much as they may regret it, they must give credit to the president.

Daily News Digest – December 27, 2019
FDA says tobacco law in effect; Stolen guns in police shootings; 'Widow tax' repeal long sought; States on front line of election security; RIP Dan Ireland.

Martha Roby: Sharing the Joy of Christmas
As we gather with family and friends this year to celebrate, I pray that we do not forget the reason behind this special holiday: the birth of Jesus Christ and His message of hope in a troubled world.

Steve Flowers: Pete Turnham Epitomized the Greatest Generation
Like many great men of that generation, he genuinely loved and cared about people and helping his fellow man. He helped and cared for his folks in Lee County on a daily basis, especially assisting students at Auburn University.

Bradley Byrne: Alabama will see benefits from new trade deal
Thanks to passage of the new United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA), I am confident our state’s economy will continue to boom. The USMCA deal will unlock new opportunities for businesses in our state while protecting our Alabama workers.

Alabama Policy Institute: Medical Marijuana Bill Looks More Like a Trojan Horse
"To be sure, if this bill passes it will have major impacts on employers, law enforcement, farmers, insurance companies, and others."

Rep. Debbie Wood: Alabama’s Aerospace Companies Play a Pivotal Role in Our State’s Economic Growth
For over 100 years Alabama has been at the forefront of innovation in aerospace and aviation.

Dana Hall McCain: Thanksgiving to God is Profoundly American
Aside from Independence Day, no other holiday is as profoundly American as Thanksgiving.

Will Whatley: Medical cannabis not a half-baked idea
For the last several months, the Alabama Medical Marijuana Study Commission has met and set out to begin crafting legislation to be introduced in the next legislative session.

Stacy Column: Jeff Sessions and the Audience of One
I’m always interested in the different ways candidates and their consultants try to reach people, particularly via earned media, and it all starts with the announcement.

The Sessions Question
From Montgomery to Mobile to Birmingham to Washington, D.C., the speculation has been running high for the last month and hit a fever pitch last week with several published reports wondering what might happen.

Chris England: After party election, let’s get to work
It is with great hope and enthusiasm I humbly thank the State Democratic Executive Committee and accept the call to serve as the next Chair of Alabama’s Democratic Party.

Mark Dixon: Remember When We Could Say ‘Thank Goodness for Mississippi?’
We must bring transformational change to our education system. Here are some places to start.

Will he or won’t he? Sessions Senate speculation runs wild
For the last two or three weeks, speculation has steadily grown that former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will enter the race to win back his old Senate seat.

Tax fix needed to allow cooperatives to serve their communities
Imagine working hard to secure funding for an important local project – one that could benefit an entire community – only to turn around and give a large chunk of that money back in taxes.

Perry Hooper: Socialism is the Greatest Threat Facing America Today
Our founders created the greatest country in the history of the world, where all men are created equal and anything is possible.

SPORTS BREAK: The 2019 SEC as 2020 Presidential Candidates
We are well into the 2019 football season. Likewise, the 2020 election is pretty much in full swing already.

Martha Roby: An Update on Progress for Afghan Women
Afghan society must continue to see an increased number of women serving in all societal roles – in the military, police force, as educators, and more.

Will Whatley: Keep the conversation going
Mental health conditions are something that stick around longer than awareness months. These problems are like chronic conditions such as heart disease or diabetes. They take diligence to deal with. Like the tides, they can recede sometimes and then come surging back.

Stacy Column: Steven Reed understands the moment, but isn’t lost in it
Reed is certainly aware of the magnitude of the moment. Listen to his victory speech, and you’ll hear him figuratively bridge the problematic past to a more hopeful future.

Steve Flowers: 2020 Senate Race Right around the Corner.
Even though qualifying does not begin until October 8, 2019, the field is probably set for the GOP Primary in March to unseat the anomaly Democrat, Doug Jones, who is sitting in Alabama’s Republican U.S. Senate Seat.

Will Whatley: On impeachment, watch the Republicans
Assuming Democrats are successful in actually approving articles of impeachment in the House, will the Republican majority in the Senate be there to protect Trump? I’d be willing to bet it is.

Martha Roby: We’re Tackling the Opioid Crisis Head-On
Perhaps one of our most critical ongoing issues is the horrific opioid epidemic that continues to grip Alabama and communities throughout our country.

Matthew Stokes: Political Realities and the Mobile Bayway
Until voters are willing to trust their elected officials and reject local demagogues in politics and media who only tell them what they want to hear, I worry that our wonderful state will be stuck in the mud of our own making.

Column: A stark reminder of what’s really important in life
The next time you feel the urge to heckle a kid for missing a tackle or boo an NFL quarterback for moving on with his life, think of Blake Bivens.

Skip Tucker: Unresolved Murders Most Foul
Last year there were 110 homicides in Birmingham, according to the Jefferson Co. DA’s office. More than 40 are unsolved nor are they likely to be solved, according to state statistics. That’s not the scary part.

Phil Williams: Less outrage, more leadership
This past weekend, the Executive Committee of the Alabama Republican Party jumped into the liberal playbook feet first when it passed a resolution calling for Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) to be ousted from Congress.

Daily News Digest – August 23, 2019
Sheriff arrested on ethics charges; DNC whacks Worley; ALGOP considers delegate election change; Charter school group gets $25 million grant

Skip Tucker: He’s In The Jailhouse Now
Not long ago, I walked into a clinic to find two inmates under guard by two officers. The guards were 30ish, buff, with chiseled chins.

Will Whatley: What’s to blame for gun violence?
In the aftermath of the two domestic terrorism episodes in El Paso and Dayton, as well as the shootout with police in Philadelphia, are people today more likely to commit such heinous acts of violence because we’ve been exposed to it in our media?

Steve Flowers: The story of Floyd Mann
The hot winds of segregation began to blow after the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954. They had reached a crescendo inferno in the Heart of Dixie by 1958.

Matthew Stokes: What’s behind the shootings?
If we are serious about the various freedoms entangled in this discussion, particularly freedom of speech and the right to bear arms, we have to explore creative ways of dealing with these problems.

Kay Ivey: For Mobile Bayway Project, The Cost of Doing Nothing is Too High
Most people agree a new bridge is necessary. However, the most significant obstacle has always been how to pay for it. As governor, I am committed to looking at all reasonable solutions to move this project forward.

Skip Tucker: Beware When Ye Fight The Demon
When I was in journalism school in Tuscaloosa, we wannabees thought New York was paradise and that if we were good reporters we’d go to the New York Times when we died. Today, I hardly recognize it, except for the front page and the “flag” at top in Olde English script.

AARP: Alabamians Need Relief from Rx Greed
No one should be forced to choose between putting food on the table or buying a lifesaving medication.

Guy Martin: When the Cahaba runs upstream, Part 2
Bottom line: the EPA is ordering millions to be spent to decrease phosphorus in the river, amidst considerable uncertainty, when two far more obvious solutions exist: help Birmingham Water stop sucking the river dry, and eliminate the dams.

Carla Crowder: Incarcerating people as cheaply as possible created Alabama’s unconstitutional prisons. Let’s not make the same mistake again.
By CARLA CROWDER, Executive Director, Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice A few weeks ago, a search dog working...

Matthew Stokes: GOP will miss Martha Roby and Will Hurd
If bright lights like Roby and Hurd find that serving as a member of the House is a fruitless endeavor, other young leaders are likely to arrive at the same conclusion.

Guy Martin: When the Cahaba runs upstream…
When the Cahaba River runs upstream, you know things are out of whack.

Skip Tucker: A Bad Time To Be a Bad Person.
Line up ten convicted Alabama felons. According to the department’s own statistics, three of the ten are on the streets right now due to shortshifted parole.

Pepper Bryars: Alabama must build more prisons, but taxpayers don’t have to foot the bill
Alabama’s prison system was designed for about 9,900 inmates but it’s currently holding more than 16,000 – an occupancy rate of more than 165 percent, according to data published by the Alabama Department of Corrections.

Parker Snider: .Why limited-government conservatives should participate in the Census
As one of the most conservative states in the nation, the conservative movement needs a healthy Alabama that has strong, multilayered representation and power in the Electoral College to push a conservative candidate to 270.

Stacy Column: This Mobile Mess
The biggest story in the state right now is the controversy surrounding the proposed new bridge spanning the Mobile River that would at long last alleviate frequent congestion along Interstate 10 through the Wallace Tunnel.

Matthew Stokes: Mueller comes to Congress
It is tempting to pass off the whole matter as partisan wrangling, but we should push past that inclination. The question that should haunt us is this: “how would you react if the other party was found to have engaged in this behavior?”

Matthew Stokes: Let’s try optimism
Admittedly there is a disconnect between the intensity of fandom in our state and much of our day to day existence in a state that often ranks near the bottom of many national rankings.

Stacy Column: Roy Moore and why 2020 is not 2017
Don’t worry, I won’t offer any horse race prognostications. It’s far too early for that. What I will offer is some advice for those following what will surely be an interesting race: be careful about buying into conventional wisdom.

Perry Hooper: Sarah Sanders is a Great American
By PERRY HOOPER, JR Sarah Huckabee Sanders has been one of Trump’s most loyal supporters and confidants, almost constantly at...

Matthew Stokes: On Roy Moore
Just like Clark Griswold’s plans for a fun, old-fashioned family Christmas, Roy Moore has shown up like "Cousin Eddie," ruining what should be a conventional primary and generally making everyone uncomfortable.

Dad-deprived homes reach crisis levels in Alabama
While dad-deprived homes cause problems for both sexes, it has a particularly damaging impact on young men.

Stacy Column: Grading the Session
Among my biggest impressions from watching the session was how willing and, perhaps, eager the Legislature was to dive into thorny, complicated issues that most political advisers might advise against. If that continues, the next three years will indeed be interesting.

Matthew Stokes: A GOP generation gap
Generation X and its millennial siblings are no longer responding to political arguments the way voters once did. The despair and angst that marks much of Republican rhetoric the last two elections is not resonating with young voters. It seems that what young voters want is something markedly more hopeful and optimistic.

Skip Tucker: 86’d
At least politicians are predictable. They spend a year making promises then, if elected, spend three years blaming someone else because they cannot keep them. They spend the fourth year making promises again, and often the same ones.

Perry Hooper: Stop talking and get to work
Democrats have proven that they will do just about anything to obstruct President Trump’s agenda in order to win in 2020, no matter how dire the consequences are for the country.

Matthew Stokes: A positive step for reading
This legislation forces our state’s institutions, from the state board of education down to every elementary school, to reckon with the fact that too many children have managed to move up the ladder without achieving the appropriate level of literacy.

Mark Dixon: The Alabama Literacy Act is Good for Children
Last week, the Alabama House of Representatives voted 92-3 to pass the Alabama Literacy Act (HB 388) with bipartisan support. Every child deserves the opportunity and support to become an excellent reader.

Opinion: Level the Playing Field for Small Craft Breweries in Alabama
We founded Monday Night Brewing, an Atlanta-based craft brewery, with a clear purpose - “to deepen human relationships over some of the best beer in the country.”

Perry Hooper: Kay Ivey :True Leadership When Alabama Needs it the Most
"The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets people to do the greatest things." – Ronald Reagan

Safe, Affordable Anesthesia Care in Your Hometown
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) ensure that the citizens of Alabama receive the highest standard of anesthesia care for their surgery, labor and delivery, and emergency needs where and when you need it.
Senate Bill 156 clarifies the definition of a CRNA by describing the relationship that exists with surgeons and removes language that can be seen as a barrier to care, especially in rural Alabama.

Matthew Stokes: On lotteries and abortion
. The last few weeks in the Alabama legislature bring to mind an image from HBO’s harrowing drama True Detective, where a cynical Matthew McConaughey bleakly quotes Friedrich Nietzsche and says, “time is a flat circle.” Some things will apparently not change, and so here we are again debating an education lottery and abortion.

Perry Hooper: Democrats Have Declared War on the Constitution
Having failed to lock in lasting change of power during the Obama era and the Mueller Report exonerating President Trump, Democrats now hope to create a situation where the Supreme Court has power over the executive and legislative branches by adding up to six liberal Justices.

Skip Tucker: Purple Haze
Well, I dang near died. Word that I did die went round to some. Obviously, happily, it was an exaggeration. But it was a near thing. All-in-all, it was quite the adventure. I don’t recommend it.

Jim Searcy: Protect Alabama’s economic development efforts
By JIM SEARCY, Executive Director of the Economic Development Association of Alabama The Alabama Jobs Enhancement Act was passed last year...

Phil Williams: Gas tax had some good, bad, and ugly
By Phil Williams, Director of Policy Strategy, Alabama Policy Institute The increased gas tax became law this week amid much...

Matthew Stokes: Gas tax not a ‘betrayal’
This may not have been a perfect bill, and certainly future legislatures will tinker and tweak it in various ways. In the end, though, it is an important achievement of mature governance that recognizes improvements cannot come about on their own.

Steve Flowers: Timing good for Ivey’s road plan
Gov. Kay Ivey made infrastructure improvement in the state her cornerstone issue for this year, and more importantly for her term as governor. Within less than three months in office she and the Legislature have successfully accomplished this mission.

Matthew Stokes: Jones moderates on vote, but not rhetoric
Jones has a unique opportunity to help resurrect a politics that believes in an active federal government while making it clear that you reject both a kinda-sorta welfare state in the common sense, and socialism in the more extreme case. This sort of responsible centrism forces the Republican Party to deal with substantive issues like health care, education, and, yes, even climate change

Pepper Bryars: Why we should avoid an immediate special session for the gas tax
By J. PEPPER BRYARS, Alabama Policy Institute Many Alabamians, including the conservative-leaning Alabama Policy Institute, agree our state needs to...

Matthew Stokes: Recognizing bright lights in the Alabama Legislature
There has been much to criticize and even ridicule within Alabama politics over the last few years. Yet, there are still many folks inside the Legislature doing real work.

Skip Tucker: Another Brick in the Wall
By SKIP TUCKER, Alabama Daily News Featured Columnist After national pollsters, national talking heads and Hillary Clinton were handed their...

Alabama Policy Institute: A Conservative Approach to the Gas Tax
By the ALABAMA POLICY INSTITUTE PART I – THREE GUIDING IMPERATIVES To be clear up front, the Alabama Policy Institute...

Perry Hooper: President Trump Hits a Home Run
By PERRY HOOPER, JR The never-Trumper faction of the Republican Party was wrong. The mainstream media was — and continues...

Kay Ivey: An Alabama Solution to an Alabama Problem – Rebuilding the Alabama Corrections System
In order to correct a problem, you must first admit there is a problem. In Alabama, we have a problem. Our problem is our state’s corrections system.

Perry Hooper: An amazing run for Ivey
By PERRY HOOPER, JR. On April 10th, 2017 when Kay Ivey took the oath of office as Alabama’s 54th Governor,...

Skip Tucker: Common Sense
I want a new tax the way I wanted the Rams to win the Super Bowl, which is not at all, to be clear (Saints be praised).

Opinion: Court debt harms Alabamians, but solutions are within reach
By CARLA CROWDER, Executive Director, Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice Fearing federal intervention, Alabama leaders have focused on...

Steve Marshall: The High Price of Protecting the Public
By STEVE MARSHALL, Alabama Attorney General Barely three weeks into the New Year – a time that is supposed to...

Steve Flowers: New Federal Judges in Alabama are a Future Legacy
Regardless of what happens in Donald Trump’s administration over the next two years, he will have a proven record of success as President especially if you are a conservative American.

Matthew Stokes: The shutdown turns a month old
By MATTHEW STOKES, Alabama Daily News Columnist Today, the shutdown of the federal government is in its 31st day, and...

Matthew Stokes: A fiscal conservative ponders the gas tax
By MATTHEW STOKES, Alabama Daily News Columnist By the time this goes to print, most all of Alabama’s students will...

Perry Hooper: Trump’s Year in Review
By PERRY HOOPER, Jr. President Donald J. Trump approached 2018 just as he did 2017–fulfilling campaign promises and meeting new...

Steve French: 1988 and the seeds of Alabama’s Republican rule
By STEVE FRENCH, former Alabama State Senator and Republican political operative Recently, we buried the first president I had the...

Bruce Ely: Alabama worst in the U.S. for sales tax red tape
By BRUCE ELY, Senior Partner, Bradley Law Firm Originally posted as a guest blog at David Sher’s Comeback Town. Alabama...

Pepper Bryars: While the Supreme Court deliberates, Alabama should shine the light on asset forfeiture
By J. PEPPER BRYARS, Alabama Policy Institute The U.S. Supreme Court recently signaled that it’s ready to limit the government’s power to...

Matthew Stokes: Story of the Magi is a gift to us
Life is hard, even at time with material abundance like we have never seen. We should not forget that life is hard for those around us, and we should not feel ashamed to confront that our lives are often difficult.

Matthew Stokes: We’ll miss The Weekly Standard
By MATTHEW STOKES, Alabama Daily News Columnist Last Friday was a sad day for a certain type of conservative. I...

Perry Hooper, Jr.: Remembering “41”
By PERRY HOOPER, JR. It has been gratifying to see President George H.W. Bush finally receive the recognition he deserves....

Rachel Bryars: School boards are choosing systems over students by calling for scholarship repeal
By RACHEL BRYARS, Alabama Policy Institute Boards representing three of the state’s largest public school systems – Mobile, Baldwin and...

Skip Tucker: A Damn Yankee on the Slurry Line?
By SKIP TUCKER, Alabama Daily News Featured Columnist Our old friend D.T, whose adventures in Old Pisgah Graveyard were twice...

Mother: Alabama’s Opportunity Scholarship “life changing”
The Alabama Opportunity Scholarship fund has been a life-changing experience for me and my older son. Without it, I don’t know if he would still be in school. It is important that we continue to support this scholarship fund through the Alabama Accountability Act.

Rachel Bryars: Alabama board of education member says school choice is trying to ‘destroy a whole race of people’
By RACHEL BLACKMON BRYARS, Alabama Policy Institute Alabama board of education member Ella Bell, D-Montgomery, spoke out during a work session Thursday claiming...

Amendment 2 supporters: Stand for Life —Vote Yes
By TWINKLE CAVANAUGH, TERRY LATHAN, and MARY SUE McCLURKIN As women, mothers, and as the supporters of many other young...

Perry Hooper: Promises Kept
By PERRY HOOPER As hard as it may seem to the Democratic President Trump haters and the Republican never Trumpers,...

Matthew Stokes: It’s Almost Over; But Really, It’s Not
Our work as citizens does not end on Tuesday. It is good to remind ourselves that most of our problems are not solved in Washington and Montgomery.

Skip Tucker: GOTV
By SKIP TUCKER, Alabama Daily News Featured Columnist It is time, as the great W.C. Fields once observed, to take...

Matthew Stokes: With friends like these…
Walt Maddox could have been so much more, and in time he may be. For now, though, he remains a bright face in an empty suit.

Skip Tucker: A Modest Proposal
By SKIP TUCKER, Alabama Daily News Featured Columnist In the troubling wildness of the Kavanaugh hearings, particularly troubling to your...

Guy Martin: Science Trumps Stupidity
Editor’s note: Birmingham real estate attorney and regular news commentator Guy V. Martin recently wrote an op-ed for The Birmingham...

Skip Tucker: Pisgah Graveyard Strikes Back at our Hero
It’s been recounted that all graveyards are cemeteries, but not all cemeteries are graveyards, and, worse, some graveyards are bone orchards. The differences are these: graveyards are haunted, every one, but a bone orchard is meaner. A bone orchard might get you.

Opinion: Some Thoughts on the Kavanaugh Confirmation Debacle
By Brandon K. Essig Like all Americans, I have observed the past few weeks of the Kavanaugh confirmation process with...

Mike Rogers: What’s Happening in East Alabama
Every August, Congress takes a District Work Period so members have extra time to spend across their congressional district.

Bradley Byrne: Setting our Funding Priorities
There was a major, bipartisan victory in Congress last week that failed to gain any of the attention it deserved.

Policy Institute: Vote yes on Proposed Statewide Amendment Two
The amendment, if approved, would add language to the state constitution acknowledging the sanctity of unborn life and stipulating that the state constitution provides no right to abortion.

Skip Tucker: The Snake and I
By SKIP TUCKER, Alabama Daily News Kenny Stabler is the only national celebrity I have known, and I wasn’t a...

Skip Tucker: Wherein Bear Bryant Walks on Water
By SKIP TUCKER, Alabama Daily News Featured Columnist Sugar Bowl, New Orleans, Jan. 2, 1967. The winter of 1966 was...

Perry Hooper: President’s workforce development plan deserves support
By PERRY HOOPER President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order to establish a new workforce initiative in the US....

Matthew Stokes: Is Maddox truly progressive?
It is a common tendency among Democrats to proclaim themselves as progressive. While many of people still use the word...

Skip Tucker: Wherein He Watches John Henry Drive Steel
One blistering summer afternoon when I was 10, I saw John Henry drive steel. I kid you not. From the...

Stacy Column: ‘Blue wave’ may well come, but will it matter in Alabama?
By now you’ve probably heard talk of the “blue wave” that’s supposed to come this November. Many political prognosticators say...

Daily News Digest – August 10, 2018
Good morning and Happy Friday! Here’s your Daily News for August 10, 2018. 1. Sigh of relief: Brookwood, CMS reach...

Matthew Stokes: Back to School
By MATTHEW STOKES, Alabama Daily News Contributing Writer Now that summer is winding down and kids are back in school,...

Skip Tucker: Oh, Please
By SKIP TUCKER, Alabama Daily News featured columnist My turn in the barrel. That’s the punchline to a very old,...

Stacy Column: Shelby and Jones take different approaches to Supreme Court nomination
The battle over Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court is heating up in Washington. President Donald Trump selected Kavanaugh...

Matthew Stokes: What is Conservatism?
By MATTHEW STOKES, Alabama Daily News Contributing Writer Ronald Reagan remains the standard bearer for American conservatism, and with good...

Is Trump onto something with Chinese tariffs?
By TODD STACY, Alabama Daily News Don’t look now, but President Trump’s Chinese import tariffs might be working. Many – including...

Skip Tucker: The Hood and I
By SKIP TUCKER, Alabama Daily News Featured Columnist During the racially turbulent mid-seventies, on a comfortable summer morning, the editor...

Perry O. Hooper: Trump right about the Trade Issue
By PERRY O. HOOPER I am a strong advocate for free enterprise and for free trade. However. we have a...

What’s the Big Deal With Debates?
By CAROLINE BECK, Alabama Daily News Since most of this week’s political talk has been consumed about the possibility of...

Daily News Digest – July 25, 2018
Good morning! Here’s your Daily News for Wednesday, July 25, 2018. 1. Maddox challenges Ivey, again. Walt Maddox yesterday issued...

Skip Tucker: A Candle in the Wind
In early spring, 1970, a young journalism student at the University of Alabama learned a Candlelight March to support civil...

Stacy Column: The Runoffs: what happened and what’s next
With Alabama’s primary elections now fully in the rearview mirror, we can look back to see what happened and why...

Matthew Stokes: Mr. Oliver
By MATHEW STOKES, Alabama Daily News Columnist The kids and I had to run some errands last Friday so I...

Skip Tucker: Carl Elliott and the Shining, Shining Path
By SKIP TUCKER, Alabama Daily News Columnist Now comes the victorious resurrection of the remarkable Mr. Elliott, he of the...

Todd Stacy: Demanding more of ourselves and our candidates
The primary campaign is over this week, and we can all be grateful for that. November will be here before we know it. If we want more from our candidates than we got in these last few months, then it's up to us to demand more of them.

Matthew Stokes: Marshall’s quiet, diligent service needed in AG’s office
By MATTHEW STOKES, Alabama Daily News contributor Life is usually pretty slow in summertime as we try to manage the...

Skip Tucker: Carl Elliott and the Cost of Courage
By Skip Tucker, Alabama Daily News Robert Kennedy believed that so long as people respond to courage of enlightened conviction...

Taylor Dawson: What does freedom mean to me?
By Taylor Dawson, Alabama Policy Institute When most of us think about the Fourth of July, we think about pool...

Matthew Stokes: Show some gratitude for our country’s legacy
This year the 4th of July comes at an uncertain time. Our television sets and social media have been inundated...

Steve Flowers: Trump and Big Jim
Otto Whittaker wrote the following essay, “I Am the Nation” in 1955 as a public relations advertisement for the Norfolk and Western Railway. The message found in Mr. Whittaker’s essay is still appropriate for this Independence Day, so I have chosen to include it below as part of my weekly column.

Todd Stacy: As Supreme Court drama unfolds, Alabama plays its part.
The biggest story in the political world right now is President Donald Trump’s impending appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. And, like most big political stories, Alabama is right in the middle of it.

Skip Tucker: Carl Atwood Elliott: Here’s a book, and please share the hemlock
The late great U.S. Rep. Carl Elliott, D-Jasper, in 1950 commissioned a Congressional Study which found there is (or was)...

Matthew Stokes: Immigration is a tough issue, but not this tough
Quit trying to score points in a stupid media game of pointing out inconsistencies; there will always be time for that. Instead, demand better from those can make a change.

Skip Tucker: Goldfinger and the art of negative campaigning
By SKIP TUCKER, Alabama Daily News contributor Riddle me this: What does a special interest group have in common with...

Todd Stacy: Election yields few surprises, sets up interesting runoffs.
By TODD STACY, Alabama Daily News Last week’s primary elections may have yielded few surprises, but they resulted in some interesting...

Daily News Digest – May 31, 2018
Good morning! This is your Daily News for Thursday, May 31, 2018. 1. Saving Sessions. If you follow President Trump on Twitter,...

Skip Tucker: Go vote, or Staff Sgt. Tucker will get you
By SKIP TUCKER, Alabama Daily News contributor The vernal equinox slipped seamlessly by, mystically doing whatever equinoxes do, but this...

Parker Snider: State elections matter more than most think
By PARKER SNIDER Alabama Policy Institute Washington, D.C. – one of the most visited cities in the world – oozes...

Skip Tucker: Wary of Vote Fraud, Then and Now
By SKIP TUCKER, Alabama Daily News contributor The man from Chicago, in Alabama to oversee ballot security for the 1986...

A change is gonna come: BCA eyes orderly transition amid smear campaign
A season of change appears to be underway at the Business Council of Alabama, one of the state’s largest political advocacy groups. After 15 years at the helm, CEO Billy Canary is set to retire in about 18 months when his contract ends.

Stacy Column: A turn for the dramatic in the Alabama Governor’s race.
Gov. Kay Ivey experienced what no public official wants or deserves when unfounded rumors and speculation about her personal life became a media firestorm. Now that the dust has settled, what happened is a case study in how to handle a high-stakes political story - and how not to.

Stokes: Clear eyes needed on sports betting question
Politics is always downstream from culture, and those problems will ultimately be decided in communities, among families, neighbors, and congregations.

Roby: House Passes VA Bill, Funds Choice Program
There’s no “quick fix” for the problems plaguing the VA – of course, I wish there was. Nonetheless, I will continue to support commonsense measures like the VA MISSION Act to deliver positive change for veterans.

Dawson, Ivey and Patricia Todd: what happened
Dawson's camp says no. They blame Todd and the "liberal media" for going there. However, when you're connecting the governor to an LBGT group while repeatedly saying "I don't want to fuel rumors," how long until that's exactly what you're doing?

Matthew Stokes: An honest look at Sessions’ immigration actions
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions made headlines this week with a speech on one of his favorite subjects – immigration...

Skip Tucker: Trump played the media – and changed it forever
By SKIP TUCKER, Alabama Daily News Contributor I’ve been in and around newspapers for decades. After all that time, I...

Stacy Column: Poll shows open races one month out of the GOP primary
It has been a relatively quiet election year so far, and there’s little information out there besides anecdotes to tell us where the races stand. Because most campaigns and political groups usually keep their survey data internal, we haven’t had much reliable, scientific polling to decipher and debate publicly.
Good news! Now we do.

Steve Flowers: Low Voter Turnout Expected for Primary
By STEVE FLOWERS, Columnist We are less than four weeks away from our June 5th primary. Those of us who...

Column: New superintendent should set clear objectives for state schools
By MATTHEW STOKES, Alabama Daily News Contributor With the news that the Alabama Board of Education has selected Dr. Eric...

Steve Flowers: Supreme Court Races On Ballot This Year
By STEVE FLOWERS Among the plethora of races on the ballot this year are the important seats on the Alabama...

Column: Alabama has a new State Superintendent of Schools
By TODD STACY, Alabama Daily News The Alabama Board of Education has voted to hire Dr. Eric Mackey as Alabama’s...

What’s going on at BCA?
By TODD STACY, Alabama Daily News When you publish a news platform with a focus on political insider talk, one...

Steve Flowers: Most incumbents should win
By STEVE FLOWERS, political columnist Our antiquated 1901 Constitution was designed to give inordinate power to the Legislature. During the...

Stacy column: Ryan’s retirement not a good sign for GOP
By TODD STACY, Alabama Daily News The seismic news that House Speaker Paul Ryan will not seek reelection rocked Washington...

API’s Parker Snider: A Guide to Fake News
By PARKER SNIDER, Alabama Policy Institute More than once every day. That’s how often President Trump publicly calls something “fake”—be it a...

Kay Ivey: One year in, serving Alabama
By KAY IVEY, Governor April 10, 2018, marks one year since I unexpectedly became governor. With only three hours’ notice...

Opinion: If Doug Jones wants commonsense solutions on guns, some do exist
By MATTHEW STOKES, contributor U.S. Senator Doug Jones of Alabama made his debut speech in the Senate recently. The topic...

STACY COLUMN: Legislature wraps up productive session
By TODD STACY, Alabama Daily News The Alabama Legislature adjourned “sine die” Thursday, wrapping up legislative business for the year...

Guest Opinion: How Christ’s Resurrection Makes Politics Better
By Parker Snider, Alabama Policy Institute “He is not here; He has risen!” These are perhaps the most consequential words ever...

Bradley Byrne: Protecting our children
By BRADLEY BYRNE, Member of Congress For much of the year, the safety of our students rests in the hands...

Martha Roby: Highlighting Productive Discussions with Military Leaders
By MARTHA ROBY, Member of Congress Serving on the House Appropriations Committee gives me a valuable and unique opportunity to...